Retractable tool



April 15, 1952 F. A. TRIM Ll RETRACTABLE L 5929 Filed Oct. 5, 1949 l I iIN V ENTO R. gaa/v/f/fi 75/1504 Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED. STATES()FFICE 2 Claims. 1

The invention herein disclosed relates to combination tools of thescrew-driver type. Objects of the invention particularly are to providea construction in which a screw-driver blade may be lengthened orshortened according to difierent requirements, or be entirely removedand be replaced by a different type of tool such as a wrench, chisel,punch, drill, hammer, saw

or the like.

Further important objects are toconstruct the device so as to enable thegreatest and most effective use of the particular implement employed atthe time.

It is for these various purposes that the tool is constructed with ahandle having an axial bore extending entirely therethrough so that theshank or bit of the tool may be shifted inward or outward to a maximumextent and the end of the bit or shank actually projected through andbeyond the handle for direct action thereon, as with a hammer, wrench orthe like.

The other novel features of the invention and other desirable objectsattained thereby are set forth and will appear in the course of thefollowing specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates a present com mercial embodiment of the invention.Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a side elevation showing the tool in use as ascrew-driver, with the screw-driver bit partly extended;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cap removed to expose the wrenchhead on the end of the handle;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view showing the locking ringturned on the handle into position securing the tool shank partlyextended;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,showing the ring first in the locking position and second in the releaseposition, yieldingly retained in each of these positions by the springdetent;

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional detail showing the double spring detent forindexing both the length and the locking of the tool blade.

The handle of the tool shown at I may be of any desired size and shapeto suit the general purposes of the tool, and it is provided with arectangular or other polygonal cross section axial bore 8 extendingentirely therethrough to sildingly accommodate the correspondinglyshaped angular shank portion 9 of the screw-driver or other tool elementIt.

This construction permits the tool shank to beextended or to beretracted practically its full length. In the illustration, for example,the handle may be slipped down over the shank practically to the bit orblade portion of the screwdriver, a position where the maximum turningforce may be applied closest to the Work in hand. In such case the shankmay project substantially full length from the back of the handle, butthis may be no objection if space is available and in many cases it isan advantage, permitting a wrench or other turning implement beingengaged with the projecting part of the tool shank.

This projection of the tool shank from the back end of the handle alsois advantageous where it may be necessary to apply pressure to the endof the shank, as by means of some screw or leverage mechanism engagedwith a center opening H, Fig. 3, provided in the back end of the shank.

To secure the tool shank in variously projected positions there isprovided in the illustration, a cap l2 rotatably sleeved over acylindrical portion 13 at the inner end of the handle, said cap having asquare or other correspondingly shaped opening M in the end Wall portionl5 of the same to pass the shank, when aligned with the bore as in Fig.5, and to interlock over the notched or grooved portions 16 of theshank, when turned to the position shown in Fig. 4.

This locking cap is shown confined over the cylindrical end portion ofthehandle by a screw I! and as limited in its angular turning movement.by an arcuate slot 18 in the end wall [5 through which the screw passesand which is just of sufiicient length to permit the cap to be turnedfrom the locking to the unlocking position, and vice versa. I

To prevent the cap from turning and accidentally releasing the toolblade, a detent is provided in the illustration, shown as a springpressed ball 19 seated in the cylindrical portion l 3 of the handle anddesigned to project into holding engagement with detent seats 20, 2|,provided inside the dependent flange or finger grip portion 22 of thecap or sleeve l2.

This flange portion of the locking element may be knurled or grooved asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, to facilitate grip of the fingers thereon.

gThe spring detent, in addition to serving as a retainer for holding thelocking sleeve in either the shank securing or release position, is alsoof 3 advantage as an index or feeler for indicating to the user that thesleeve is in either the shank securing or release position.

To enable the application of a wrench or other tool direct to the end ofthe handle, the latter is shown as having an angular head portion 23,Fig. 2.

Also, if desired, the outer end portion of the handle may have atransverse opening 24 e: tending entirely therethrough for reception ofa lever for turning the tool, or a cross handle fo applying end pressureon the tool.

To protect the wrench head portion 23 at the outer end of the handle andto close over the outer end of the bore when not required for extensionof a tool shank, there is provided in the illustration, a screw cap 25detachably engageable with a screw portion 25 on the handle at the baseor inner end of the wrench head.

For all ordinary uses of the tool the screw cap 25 may remain inposition, as shown in Fig. 1, closing the outer end of the bore in thehandle and covering the angular wrench head portion 23 of the handle. Insuch position this closure cap prevents the tool shank from beingaccidentally projected through the back end of the handle, but if it isdesired to project the shank back beyond the handle, this cap can beinstantly removed to permit such use of the tool.

The construction disclosed enables the handle to be used with shankscarrying all kinds of tool elements, such as those first mentioned byway of example.

The structure is simple, the parts are few in number and durable andstrong. The device may be produced at low cost because machiningoperations required are relatively simple and inexpensive.

In addition to indexing the locking sleeve, the spring detent mechanismmay be and preferably. is so designed as to index the tool shank in itslength adjustment in the handle.

This is accomplished as shown in Figure 6 by locating the spring detentin the handle to line up with the grooves or notches $5 in the toolshank and by providing an additional spring pressed detent ball 21 toengage in said notches. With this construction, when the sleeve isturned to the unlocked position, Fig. 5, the shank may be slipped inwardor outward in the handle, with the ball detent 2'! indexing andyieldingly holding the shank in various positions of adjustment, linedup with the notches registering with the locking sleeve and ready to besecured in any one of these positions by rotation of this sleeve to theFig. 4, locking position.

What is claimed is:

I 1. An extensible screw-driver or similar tool comprising alongitudinal tool shank of noncircular cross section and havinglongitudinally spaced cross notches therein, a hand grip form of handlehaving a correspondingly shaped, noncircular cross sectional passageextending entirely therethrough, open at opposite ends and slidinglyreceiving said tool shank and thereby holding said handle and shank innon-rotatable relation in all positions of relatively longitudinaladjustment of shank and handle, a sleeve rotatably engaged on saidhandle and having a flange disposed over the inner end of the handle,said flange having an opening therethrough corresponding to thenon-circular cross sectional shape of the passage through the handle, aspring ball detent recessed transversely in said handle with in andcovered by said sleeve and yieldably en gageable with the latter forretaining said sleeve rotated in position with said flange opening inregister with the passage through the handle or out of registertherewith to either permit relative sliding adjustment of the tool shankand handle or the securing of the tool shank in selected position in thehandle by the engagement of the flange in a selected cross notch in theshank, a wrench head on the outer end portion of the handle forengagement with and application of a wrench or leverage applying toolthereto, the tool shank having sliding adjustment within the handlesuflicient to project the end of the tool shank beyond the outer end ofthe handle and beyond said wrench head, with the handle and tool shankstill coupled in non-rotatable relation whereby a leverage applying orother turning tool may be directly applied to the outer, exposed end ofthe non-circular tool shank and to said wrench head, and a cap removablyengageable over the outer. open end of the handle and over said wrenchhead to form, when in place on the handle, a guard for preventing theprojection of the tool shank beyond the end of the handle and to protectthe hand gripping the end of the handle, from engagement by the outerend of the tool shank.

2. An extensible screw-driver or similar tool comprising a longitudinaltool shank of noncircular cross section and having longitudinally spacedcross notches therein, a hand grip form of handle having acorrespondingly shaped, noncircular cross sectional passage extendingentirely therethrough, open at opposite ends and slidingly receivingsaid tool shank and thereby holding said handle and shank innon-rotatable relation in all positions of relatively longitudinaladjustment of shank and handle, a sleeve rotatably engaged on saidhandle and having a flange disposed over the inner end of the handle,said flange having an opening therethrough corresponding to thenoncircular cross sectional shape of the passage through the handle, aspring ball detent recessed transversely in said handle within andcovered by said sleeve and yieldingly engageable with the latter forretaining said sleeve rotated in position with said flange opening inregister with the passage through the handle or out of registertherewith to either permit relative sliding adjustment of the tool shankand handle or the securing of the tool shank in selected position in thehandle by the engagement of the flange in a selected cross notch in theshank, a wrench head on the outer end portion of the handle forengagement with and application of a wrench or leverage applying toolthere to, the tool shank having sliding adjustment within the handlesufficient to project the end of the tool shank beyond the outer end ofthe handle and beyond said wrench head, with the handle and tool shankstill coupled in non-rotatable relation whereby a leverage applying orother turning tool may be directly applied to the outer, exposed end ofthe non-circular tool shank and to said wrench head, and a cap removablyengageable over the outer, open end of the handle and over said wrenchhead to form, when in place on the handle, a guard for preventing theprojection of the tool shank beyond the end of the handle and to protectthe hand gripping the end of the handle, from engagement by the outerend of the tool shank, said detent including two detent ballstransversely aligned in the handle, one inside projecting into thepassage through the handle to engage the cross notches in the shank andthe other projecting into engagement with the sleeve to hold the latterin the rotatably adjusted relations described.

FRANK A. TRIMBOLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

6 e v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number??? Name Date Contal Feb. 2, 1904Clifford Mar. 6, 1906 Contal Nov. '7, 1916 Conord Mar. 19, 1918 FlodinSept. 19, 1922 Gutward June 5, 1923 Doppel June 10, 1924

